Greetings and welcome to Poets on Display during National Poetry Month. Today is a non-post day for the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge. But Poetry Month continues, so here is another featured poet from the book Sunrise Summits: A Poetry Anthology, which was recently selected as a finalist for the 2017 Colorado Book Awards in the anthology category (information about the awards can be found by Clicking Here).

It’s an honor for me to continue to share the work of those who contributed to Northern Colorado Writers first poetry anthology and to have this work selected as an award finalist. The poets included are a shining example of the talent found in Northern Colorado Writers, LLC.

The poem posted below is not from the anthology. This way you get a wider read of each poet’s work. It’s been a challenge to get the poems to fit the letter theme, but I think I’ve got it worked out with the schedule. I hope you enjoy what you read here.

Today’s Poem: This Is How You Begin by Lorrie Wolfe

This Is How You Begin

You must do the thing you think you cannot do. Eleanor Roosevelt

when what they say is
can’t won’t never amount to
who do you think you —

stand, pick up your wounded pen
they can’t pay you enough
to make you stop

you lose track of time
you would do this anyway
this thing you can’t not do

it has a life all its own
it thrums
wakes you in the night

there’s a ring
the Operator speaks
it’s always collect

you take the call

(The poem originally appeared in Tulip Tree Review, Issue 1, 2015 Reprinted with permission)

Lorrie’s Bio:

Lorrie Wolfe’s 2013 chapbook, Holding: from Shtetl to Santa, explores themes of family, immigration, and Lorrie’s cultural journey ranging from the biblical exodus from Egypt up to her current marriage to Santa Claus. Her work has appeared in Earth’s Daughters, Pooled Ink, Pilgrimage, Tulip Tree Review, Progenitor, and has received prizes from Columbine Poets and the Poetry Society of Colorado. Lorrie was named the Poet of the Year at the Denver Ziggies Poetry Festival for 2014-2015. When she is not writing poetry, Lorrie is a technical writer, an editor and a consultant on organizational development. She lives in Windsor, CO.

Note: On May 1, 2017 I’ll be drawing one winner to receive a copy of Sunrise Summits: A Poetry Anthology. Each day you visit and leave a comment, you’ll earn one entry for the drawing. (Only one entry per day can be earned, regardless of number of visits/comments) That’s a potential of 30 entries for the drawing! Winner to be announced on this blog on May 1, 2017.